There's plenty of COVID-19 PO medicine, Regkirona

The KDCA, contract for 1 million and 44,000 people

The quarantine authorities said they have secured sufficient supplies of COVID-19 oral treatments in Korea and will continue to consider additional purchases depending on the quarantine situation.

 

The quarantine authorities also said they would consider using the budget for purchasing Regkirona as an oral drug as Regkirona, an antibody treatment for COVID-19, is known to be vulnerable to responding to Omikron mutations.

 

On the 14th, the KDCA responded in writing to the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee's Seo Young-seok of the Democratic Party and Lee Jong-sung of the People's Power.

 

Rep.

 

Seo asked if it was possible to secure PO drugs such as Paxlovid and expand the number of additional prescriptions.

 

He also inquired about plans to expand the pharmacy in charge.

 

The KDCA replied that it has pushed for a purchase contract for 1,044,000 people in consideration of the spread of Omicron and the quarantine situation.

 

The KDCA has signed a purchase contract Pfizer vaccine (for 762,000 people) and MSD vaccine (for 242,000 people).

 

The KDCA also said it will continue to consider the need for purchase by comprehensively considering the quarantine situation, medical response, development status of domestic and foreign treatments, and clinical efficacy.

 

The KDCA explained that it has been steadily expanding and operating prescription agencies and pharmacies in charge after bringing PO drugs into Korea on the 14th of last month, and that the criteria for those subject to administration have also been expanded.

 

The KDCA replied, "We will continue to improve for a stable supply so that the treatment to be eaten can be administered quickly and safely to those who need it." Rep.

 

Lee Jong-sung said that the budget set for the purchase of Regkirona, an antibody treatment, should be changed to the budget for additional purchase of oral drugs effective in omicron mutations.bThe KDCA agreed with Rep.

 

Lee and replied that it would consider ways to use Regkirona's purchase cost for oral medicine.

 

Specifically, the KDCA set aside 393.3 billion won in the main budget this year, and 3.4 billion won in the purchase of Regkirona.

 

As a result of the Regkirona pharmacological test on mutants, it was evaluated that they were less likely to show activity in omicron mutations, so they should be careful when prescribing them.

 

Accordingly, the KDCA plans to allow the purchase of Regkirona to be used as the purchase of PO drugs in response to Omikron.

 

The KDCA said, "We have not yet signed a contract for Regkirona purchase cost of 3.4 billion won this year," and added, "We will consider securing PO treatments effective for Omicron mutations."